


Beginnings

by sparkly_things



Category: Starfighter (Comic)
Genre: Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, M/M, Romance, Slow Build, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-06 08:37:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6746902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkly_things/pseuds/sparkly_things
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The early days in the life of Encke and Keeler together, aka how did these two fell in love so badly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Second fic I ever posted!  
> As with the previous one, please forgive me any kind of grammatical mistakes, typos, and such errors. Blame it on my non-English mother tongue please!
> 
> Sadly or not, I'm a real sucker for the early times in my ship's romantic life. I'm just really into watching them slowly or rapidly falling in love with each other.
> 
> So here you go, my version of the Encke/Keeler love story!  
> Please enjoy! ♡
> 
> Rated E for later chapters.

He never really had a vivid image in his head about his future navigator. They were all the same: delicate, blonde Earth men, with strong brains and weak bodies. He wasn’t expecting anything special; just another one of them, maybe more capable and talented than the rest, but still – just another cold genius. He didn’t care much though; he just needed a compatible enough navigator, someone who wouldn’t hold him back on his way to another promotion. 

But never in his life would he ever have expected the kind of man he saw when he stepped into Bering’s office.

“Keeler, meet your Encke.”

Encke almost couldn’t hold back his surprised glare as the navigator turned to him. He wasn’t even close to any of his expectations. He knew many of the white uniformed men were smaller and prettier than most of his Fighter comrades, but the earthling standing in front of him surpassed all of them. Slender and fragile, almost womanlike, with the biggest and purest blue eyes he ever saw.

Angels… Suddenly he remembered angels. If the angels of those weird Earth stories existed, Encke was sure they would look like him.

 angels. If the angels of those weird Earth stories existed, Encke was sure they would look like him.


	2. Day 1.

Despite his ambiguous first impressions of Keeler, Encke found himself smiling dumbly in the elevator on his way back to the bunk. The navi wasn’t bad at all; he was kind and clever, and despite his feminine looks and goofy moments, he seemed to be a determined soldier and aspiring new leader. Things could even work out with them being paired up together. 

The room was empty when he entered; unlike him, Keeler must’ve had some more duties after dinner. He used his solitude to study the room; it was small, but still much bigger than what he had at the academy or during boot camp. Not to mention that he only had to share it with one apparently modest man, not 3 or even more loud and stinky fighters, playing cards and chain-smoking for long after lights out.

He curiously took a quick glance at Keeler’s drawers. They were almost empty, just like the small wardrobe they shared. Only an old book, some novel Encke didn’t know. Inside a picture of a skinny woman, smiling faintly and obediently into the camera. Pale, blonde, pretty – looked much like Keeler. _Maybe his mother? Sister? Wife?_

He tucked away the photo and book back into the drawer, everything back exactly where and how he found it. He decided to take a shower and call it a night early, so he threw his clothes off, folding them neatly into the wardrobe. All his belongings in a careful order, precisely arranged. Everything by the book, as always. He couldn’t keep himself from taking a look at the navigator’s messy shelves – a disarray of regulation clothing only, uniforms, training clothes and battle suits, provided to every Alliance soldier. Even the underwear he saw seemed brand new, as if they were freshly purchased and never used yet. Apart from the tattered book in the drawer, Keeler didn’t seem to have any other personal items.

He found it weird, but decided not to give much thought of it. He didn’t care about Keeler or his belongings or his past until he did his job as Lead Navigator properly. Although he did make a small mental note to himself to remind Keeler of what a good soldier’s orderly wardrobe should look like.

 

 

It was long past curfew when Keeler finally returned to their bunk. Upon entering he smiled lightly at Encke, who just nodded from behind his tablet in bed, pretending to continue reading but secretly following the man’s every step.

“Sorry I’m late.” He said, stepping to the wardrobe. “I wanted to check everything before real work started tomorrow.”

“You’re very attentive.” Encke replied, glancing up. Keeler had his back to him, and the fighter couldn’t help himself from sneakily looking him up and down as the blond started to undress.  He looked even skinnier without his white jacket on; skinny arms, bony shoulders and milky skin. His braided hair falling to his back seemed silky and soft. His long, delicate neck so delicious, his waist so small and his ass so… 

“Encke?”

Encke came back from his sudden haze as Keeler turned around to look at him. He didn’t even hear him speak. He felt embarrassed about his wondering thoughts, and on his very first night, _dammit_.   _So fucking unprofessional, like a freaking teenage boy._ He wished he had jerked off in the shower. _It must only be pent up tension._

After a minute that seemed like eternity of glaring at each other in silence, Keeler spoke again quietly, almost shyly.

“So um… you okay with that? Looking through the last months’ reports after breakfast tomorrow?”

“...yeah, sure. Sorry.”

“Ah, all right, good!” Keeler smiled, turning back to the wardrobe. “For a second I thought I was being too much... You know, I just want to catch up with everything as soon as possible. Don’t want to let you or the commanders down.”

He smiled at Encke again, sweet and open and innocent, still almost fully dressed, bathroom kit, towel and clothes bundled up in his arms. Encke returned the smile this time.

“No, you’re right. Sorry I spaced out.”

“Oh it’s okay! We both had a challenging day, didn’t we? I guess I’ll take a quick shower and jump to bed too. Tomorrow will surely be a long day!”

As the bathroom door closed behind him, Encke dropped his tablet beside him and covered his eyes with his hands.

One deep breath… Two…. Three…. _Calm down thoughts… Calm down cock. Calm down heart._

_You’re on officer now. And he’s a man. You’re partner._

_Just your partner._

Encke was still reading when Keeler returned from the bathroom, dressed in standard Alliance nightwear. _He must be shy, not dressing in front of me,_ Encke thought.

Keeler put away his (not very nicely folded, if the rolled up clothes tossed onto the narrow shelves could be called folded at all) day uniforms and pulled out a warm sweater, the kind they all received for informal free time activities. He put in on and went straight to his bed. He crawled under the sheets, skinny legs showing in his shorts, sweater looking too big on his small frame. He smiled at Encke one last time before reaching out to turn off his night lights and pulling up the light duvet to cover him completely.

“Good night Encke.” He said, almost gently, turning towards the wall in the semi darkness without another word.

“Good night Keeler. ...you OK with my lights on?” Encke asked, looking over the small soldier. _He gotta be really tired to go to sleep this quickly, not even some small talk or befriending each other shit. Poor thing._

“Sure, don’t worry. Goodnight.”

_Heh. He’s really cutting me off.  Shut up Encke then, I guess._

He spent some more minutes letting his eyes wonder over the little duvet package that was the navigator – _his navigator_ , he reminded himself. He only noticed then that he undid his braid; his hair seemed almost as white as the pillow his head rested on. His breathing was slow and steady, apparently have fallen asleep immediately.

A faint, weird sort of protectiveness woke in Encke’s soul as he turned off the lights over his nightstand. _Don’t even need the light, tablet’s lit anyway,_ he tried to convince himself. Letting Keeler sleep peacefully, not bothering him with the light and providing him a comfortable darkness didn’t have to do anything with it, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading my story! ❤  
> Being a beginner fanfic writer, your kudos/comments are more than appreciated! 
> 
> I don't know how many chapters will this one have, but I'll try to advance as fast as I can! :3


End file.
